

i 



1 




. o V - c ■> 



j»V 









w : 







4 o 



* 4- v <f 






5»a C.9 



«*• ^ *4&W, /h," Vis <& * 



A V ■ . "** <V> 










V- 



4 o 







<v^?v v^v %•"•/ v^-y %^/J 






C.n 






c,.rv 




































^r 



i>«* 







• V < • 










*■• ** ^ 

ft ^ 'Turf** Jy c% •^5^.' *" "^ •- 

_ *\W.A. : SV\W.^ 















* %.<<? :&£•. \.S :'Mk. V,* :, 






IC 8862 



Bureau of Mines Information Circular/1982 



Land Utilization and Reclamation 
in the Mining Industry, 1930-80 

By Wilton Johnson and James Paone 




UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 



Information Circular 8862 

W / 

Land Utilization and Reclamation 
in the Mining Industry, 1930-80 

By Wilton Johnson and James Paone 




UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
James G. Watt, Secretary 

BUREAU OF MINES 
Robert C. Horton, Director 



As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior 
has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural 
resources. This includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water re- 
sources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the environmental and 
cultural values of our national parks and historical places, and providing for 
the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses 
our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their development is 
in the best interests of all our people. The Department also has a major re- 
sponsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who 
live in Island Territories under U.S. administration. 



^31 5 







This publicdHull li« USeTT cataloged as follows: 



Johnson, Wilton 

Land utilization and reclamation in the mining industry, 
1930-80. 

(Information circular ; 8862) 

1. Mines and mineral resources— United States. 2. Reclamation 
of land— United States. I. Paone, James. II. Title. III. Series: 
Information circular (United States. Bureau of Mines) ; 8862. 



TN295.U4 [TN23] 622s [333.73] 81-38489 



1\ 



CONTENTS 

Page 

\ 

^ Abstract 1 

Introduction I 

Background 2 

Purpose 3 

\} Scope and methodology 3 

> Acknowledgment s 5 

Definitions 5 

^ Extent of mine land use 9 

Acreage used and reclaimed by selected commodity, by State.. 10 

Acreage used and reclaimed by mining function 18 

Conclusions 19 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

1 . Open pit copper mine 6 

2. Open pit coal mine 7 

3 . Auger mining for coal — 48-inch auger holes 8 

4. Coal waste bank 8 

5. Total land used and reclaimed in the mining industry, 1930-80 9 

6. Distribution of land used, by State cluster, 1930-80 13 

7. Percentage of land used by selected commodity, 1930-80 13 

8. Percentage of land used for mining bituminous coal, by State, 
1930-80 15 

9. Percentage of land used for mining copper, by State, 1930-80 15 

10. Percentage of land used by mining function, 1930-80 18 

11. Abandoned strip pit before backfilling.. 20 

12. Abandoned strip pit after backfilling 20 

13. Stabilized copper mill tailings pond 21 

TABLES 

1. Comparison of major land uses in the United States in 1980, by type 
of use 10 

2. Land utilized and reclaimed by the mining industry in the United 
States in 1930-80, by State 11 

3. Land utilized by the mining industry in the United States in 
1930-80, by State and selected commodity 12 

4. Size distribution of acres utilized for coal in 1930-80, by State.. 14 

5. Size distribution of acres utilized for clay in 1930-80, by State.. 14 

6. Size distribution of acres utilized for sand and gravel in 1930-80, 
by State 16 

7. Size distribution of acres utilized for stone in 1930-80, by State. 16 

8. Land utilized and reclaimed by the mining industry in the United 
States in 1930-80 and 1980, by selected commodity 17 

9. Land utilized and reclaimed by the mining industry in the United 
States in 1930-80, by area of mining activity 19 



Af\ 



LAND UTILIZATION AND RECLAMATION IN THE MINING INDUSTRY, 1930-80 

by 

Wilton Johnson ] and James Paone 2 



ABSTRACT 

The Bureau of Mines study indicates that land utilized by the mining 
industry for mineral extraction and processing from 1930 through 1980 amounted 
to 5.7 million acres, or 0.25 percent of the land mass in the United States. 
Land reclaimed by the industry during the same period was 2.7 million acres, 
or 47 percent of the land utilized. Land use by the mining industry includes 
surface land used for excavation or mining, for waste from underground mining, 
and for wastes from milling or processing operations. Data on land use for 
disposal of overburden waste from surface coal mines and on areas affected by 
subsidence associated with underground mining are included for the period 
1930-71 only. 

The 10 leading States in total land used for mining over the 51-year 
period were, in decreasing order, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, West 
Virginia, Florida, Indiana, California, Alabama, and Missouri. Seven mineral 
commodities accounting for 92 percent of land use are, in decreasing order, 
bituminous coal, sand and gravel, stone, phosphate rock, clay, copper, and 
iron ore, all predominately surface mined. Bituminous coal production was 
responsible for nearly half of the total area utilized. 

Reclamation of mined lands and waste disposal sites over the reporting 
period was largely on lands utilized in mining bituminous coal; 75 percent of 
the land used for bituminous coal production was reclaimed. 

INTRODUCTION 

This study was conducted by the Bureau of Mines to determine the amount 
of land used by the mining industry to produce coal and nonfuel minerals 
needed to maintain the Nation's security and economic well-being. Mining, of 
necessity, except ocean mining, requires the use of land to support mineral 
extraction and processing activities. Unless properly reclaimed, mined land 



1 Chief, Branch of Special Studies, Division of Mineral Land Assessment. 
2 Director, Division of Mineral Land Assessment. 



is sometimes permanently removed from other productive uses and adversely 
impacts environmental, aesthetic, and other values of the mining site and 
surrounding areas. 

Public concern for protection of these values often triggers various 
kinds of responses, often in the form of Federal, State, and local laws or 
other regulatory controls. Developing such controls or formulating land use 
decisions without adequate data can affect mineral exploration and development 
activities and ultimately the availability of minerals to meet our domestic 
needs. Detailed information on mine land use is therefore crucial to the deci- 
sion making process. This report represents a continuing Bureau effort to 
facilitate that process by assessing the nature and extent of land used for 
mining and mineral processing activities and the degree to which these lands 
are reclaimed for other productive uses. 

Background 

The Bureau of Mines has a long history of interest in mine land use and 
reclamation. For example, in 1939 the Bureau published Report of Investiga- 
tions 3440, "Reclamation of Stripped Coal Land," to acquaint mine operators 
and others with work that had been done in certain States to reclaim land that 
had been strip-mined for coal. 

The Bureau's interest in mine land use was broadened considerably with 
passage of the Appalachian Regional Development Act in 1965. The Act directed 
the Secretary of the Interior to survey strip and surface mining operations 
in the United States. The Secretary was also directed to make recommendations 
for a comprehensive program for reclamation and rehabilitation of strip-and 
surface-mined areas. The Bureau of Mines was ultimately instructed to assume 
leadership of a working level technical committee composed of various Federal 
agencies to study the nature and extent of surface mining operations and con- 
ditions resulting from them. The results of the study were published in a 
Department of the Interior Special Report to the Nation, "Surface Mining and 
Our Environment." The study identified 3.2 million acres of land affected by 
surface mining, 2 million acres of which were in need of varying degrees of 
treatment. The report also made specific recommendations, including estab- 
lishment of Federal standards and requirements, for prevention of future 
damage and a program of Federal participation for repair of past damages. 

Because of the potential for Federal intervention in mining and reclama- 
tion activities, a need emerged for reliable data to serve as a base for mak- 
ing viable mine land use decisions. To help fulfill that need, the Bureau 
continued its efforts to develop and maintain data on the extent of land use 
by the mining industry. In 1971, a second national survey was undertaken to 
identify the amount of land used and reclaimed by the mining industry during 
the 42-year period, 1930 through 1971. Unlike the first study, the survey was 
broadened to include surface areas affected by surface and underground mining, 
including mineral processing and waste disposal activities. The study iden- 
tified 3.65 million acres of land used by the mining industry during that 
42-year period. Of that amount, 1.46 million acres was reclaimed according to 
requirements of Federal, State, or local laws, or voluntarily when no such 
laws existed. 



A subsequent Bureau report published in 1979, "Abandoned Coal-Mined 
Lands, Nature, Extent, and Cost of Reclamation," revealed that approximately 
1 million acres of coal lands mined between 1930 and 1971 remained in an aban- 
doned state. However, the report also noted that although an additional 
400,000 acres was used for coal mining between 1972 and 1977, there was no sig- 
nificant increase in abandoned coal mined lands because of Federal and State 
laws requiring reclamation. 

There was no comparable data for the amount of abandoned or unreclaimed 
land left by the metal and nonmetal mining industries. There are no Federal 
laws requiring reclamation of land mined for nonfuel minerals, and State laws 
governing reclamation of mineral mined lands are not as extensive as those 
governing coal mining. Other factors affecting abandoned mined lands are 
natural reclamation, voluntary reclamation performed by various industries, 
and reclamation by Federal, State, and local government agencies for such uses 
as farming, grazing, road construction, and residential and industrial com- 
plexes. For this reason, this report makes no assessment as to the amount of 
unreclaimed land that remains in an abandoned or derelict condition. 

Purpose 

The purpose of this report is to update data developed in previous Bureau 
studies and to assess land use trends in the mining industry. A knowledge of 
such trends is critical to development of land use policy decisions and aids 
in promoting a better understanding of mine land use in relation to other 
competing uses for land. 

Scope and Methodology 

This report identifies quantities of land used and reclaimed by the min- 
ing industry for different mining functions for the period 1930 through 1980. 
Included are data on areas affected by surface and underground mining and sur- 
face areas used for milling, processing, and related activities. Data for 
1930-71 were obtained by soliciting information directly from individual mine 
and mill operations. For this report, a combination of industry and State 
surveys, production records, and Bureau of Mines estimates was used to deter- 
mine the amount of land utilized from 1972 through 1980. As extraction of 
coal accounts for the major quantity of land used for mining, the Bureau, in 
1976, conducted a special canvass of the coal mining industry to determine 
amounts of land used for various coal mining activities from 1972 through 1975, 
and amounts of land that had been reclaimed during that period. Approximately 
6,000 questionnaires were mailed to coal mining companies that had operated at 
any time during the period January 1, 1972, to December 31, 1975. Response 
was voluntary, and cooperation was commendable. Responses accounted for 
60 percent of the bituminous coal production for the 4-year period, providing 
an excellent sample and cross section of coal mining in each State and thereby 
providing a sound data base to estimate for nonrespondents. 



Results were tabulated and statistically analyzed. Data not falling 
within prescribed bounds were screened, and illogical or erroneous information 
was discarded or corrected by telephone queries to reporting companies. Esti- 
mating formulas were devised for determining values for nonrespondents and for 
projecting acreage used and reclaimed through 1980. Formulas were based on 
acreage-production ratios of respondents and applied to operations of similar 
size and type conducted within the State or geographic region. Based on pre- 
vious study experience, it was known that a high correlation exists between 
production and land use and that such factors as mining method and coal seam 
thickness could be used to make accurate estimates for nonrespondents or to 
validate response data. 

Similarly, estimating procedures used to determine coal land utiliza- 
tion and reclamation were applied in projecting the amount of land used and 
reclaimed by the metal and nonmetal industries. Land use and reclamation data 
developed from the 1930-71 canvass of the minerals industry provided the data 
base for projecting land use and reclamation by the metal and nonmetal -indus- 
tries through 1980. Response to the 1930-71 survey represented 74 percent of 
minerals production in 1971, with metals accounting for 92 percent, and non- 
metals for 66 percent. Like the special coal canvass, these responses pro- 
vided an excellent sample of mining within each State. From these data, 
ratios were established relating the amount of land used to the amount of min- 
erals produced on a commodity-by-commodity, State-by-State basis for each of 
the years 1972 through 1980. Ratios were refined to reflect changes in fac- 
tors affecting mine land use trends since completion of the original 1930-71 
survey. 

Excluded from the estimates for 1972-80 are data on land used for dis- 
posal of overburden wastes from surface coal mining and surface areas subsided 
or disturbed as a result of underground workings. Data on acreage affected by 
disposal of overburden wastes from metal and nonmetal surface mining opera- 
tions are included; however, the quantity of land used for overburden coal 
waste as a distinct category during the last 10 years is negligible because of 
State and Federal laws requiring reclamation concurrent with mining. Subsi- 
dence data were excluded because, lacking specific data from industry, such 
areas frequently cannot be determined accurately. However, areas affected by 
disposal of overburden coal wastes and by subsidence as reported by the min- 
erals industry and State agencies represented approximately 9 percent and 
4 percent respectively of total land use for 1930-71, and are included in 
total areas used and reclaimed from 1930 through 1980. 

Areas occupied by mine plants are not included in this report because of 
the lack of reliable data. A canvass of the minerals industry reported acre- 
age extremely larger than that normally occupied by mine plants. Detailed 
analysis of the data indicated that in some instances acreages reported 
included areas occupied by mill and processing wastes as well as mine plant 
facilities. Use of information reported in that category would have resulted 
in double-counting of acreages affected by mill and processing wastes. 



Prospecting and exploration represent another form of land use by the 
mining industry. A study prepared for the Department of the Interior's Office 
of Minerals Policy and Research Analysis in 1979, titled "A Study of Issues in 
the Exploration and Development of Hard Rock Minerals," sought to determine 
the amount of land needed by hard rock mineral firms for site-specific explora- 
tion or physical exploration conducted on mineral land following the reconnais- 
sance phase of exploration. Study results indicated that land needed for 
site-specific exploration varies widely among different operations and that 
the mine companies surveyed acquired from 600 to 10,000 acres or more before 
engaging in drilling, trenching, or the sinking of shallow shafts. Generally, 
additional lands were subsequently acquired. The study further showed that 
the amount of land actually needed for the mine itself can range from 5 per- 
cent or less of the total initially acquired, to nearly 100 percent in the 
case of some extensive, flat-lying bedded deposits that are mined by under- 
ground methods. Because of the uncertainties and variability of exploration 
data, such data were not included in this report. 

Areas used for haulroads, fresh water reservoirs, railroads and public 
highways to edge of mining properties, and streams affected by acid drainage 
and sedimentation are excluded because of a lack of specific data from 
industry. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

The authors are indebted to individuals of many State agencies and to 
mineral producers for their voluntary contribution of land use and reclamation 
information. Thanks are also extended to the following Bureau of Mines per- 
sonnel for their contribution and analysis of minerals production and land 
use data: Paul Marcus, physical scientist, Branch of Applied Technology and 
Demonstrations, Division of Mineral Environmental Technology; Leo Giorgetti, 
computer systems analyst, Branch of Data Management, Office of Mineral Infor- 
mation Systems; Barbara Gunn, statistical specialist, Branch of Domestic Data, 
Division of Production/ Consumption Data Collection and Interpretation; and 
Patrick Ditty, physical scientist, Branch of Special Studies, Division of 
Mineral Land Assessment. 

DEFINITIONS 

Terms used in this report to describe the types of mining methods are 
those accepted by the mining industry in general. The term "surface mining" 
means mining in surface excavations and includes removing deposits or ore from 
open pits (quarries, opencuts), area stripping, contour stripping, auger min- 
ing, placer mining, dredging, and the removal of overburden to uncover the ore 
or deposit. 

Open pit methods are employed in mining ore and deposits that lie near 
the surface. Overburden covering the mineral must be removed in advance of 
mining. Open pit mines range in size from simple, shallow excavations or bor- 
row pits for recovering sand and gravel, and quarries producing limestone, 
sandstone, marble, and granite, to extensive and complex iron ore and copper 
open pits (fig. 1). 




FIGURE 1. - Open pit copper mine. 



"Strip mining" is the term commonly used in describing the surface min- 
ing method for coal. Two general types of strip mining for coal are contour 
stripping and area stripping. Contour stripping, common in the Appalachian 
region and some western coalfields, is a surface mining method of excavating 
for coal along the outcrop of the coalbed around the hillside. Area, or flat- 
land, stripping is practiced in regions of rolling terrain with relatively 
flat upland surfaces such as those found in Illinois and western Kentucky. 
The open pit method is also used to mine coal with thick seam deposits such as 
those found in some Western States (fig. 2). 



^ ^t*'' 

■>#?*. 






% 



FIGURE 2. - Open pit coal mine. 

Auger mining is a method often used by strip coal mine operators when 
the overburden is too thick to be removed economically. It involves large- 
diameter, spaced holes drilled up to 200 feet into the coal bed by auger 
(fig. 3). 



Milling and processing involve dressing or beneficiation operations to 
remove unwanted waste (fig. 4) or impurities for the purpose of preparing 
coal and nonfuel minerals into a final marketable product* 










FIGURE 3. - Auger mining for coal-48-inch auger holes. 




FIGURE 4. - Coal waste bank. 



Placer raining is usually a surface mining method for recovering heavy 
minerals from unconsolidated deposits. Historically, gold is the most impor- 
tant mineral associated with placer mining; other minerals recovered by placer 
mining operations are ilraenite, columbium, tantalite, platinum, scheelite, and 
monazite. 

Dredging is used extensively in placer gold raining. It is also used to 
recover sand and gravel from streambeds and low-lying lands and for stripping 
phosphate deposits in a coastal area of North Carolina. 

The term "land use" covers land used for surface mine excavations and for 
the disposal of surface and underground mine waste and of waste from milling 
and processing operations. "Reclaimed" in this report means that recondition- 
ing or restoration work has been completed on mined and waste disposal areas 
in compliance with Federal, State, or local laws, or that in the opinion of 
mine management, such areas have been restored to a useful condition. 

EXTENT OF MINE LAND USE 



Land 
mining ac 



100 



use for mining from 1930 through 1980 (51 years), a period when 
tivities were called upon to fulfill mineral requirements for three 

wars and an expansive econ- 



5,700,000 
ACRES 



75 



UJ 

O 5 

UJ 

a. 



25 - 



2,700,000 
ACRES 




LAND 
USED 



LAND 
RECLAIMED 



FIGURE 5. 



•Total land used and reclaimed in the mining 
industry, 1930-80. 



oray, amounted to 5.7 mil- 
lion acres, or 0.25 percent 
of the total land mass in 
the United States (fig. 5). 
Taking into account the 
47 percent of land reclaimed, 
0.13 percent of the total 
land mass is currently being 
used for mining or mineral 
processing, is abandoned 
or derelict, or has been 
reclaimed by nature or vol- 
untarily reclaimed by vari- 
ous industries and Federal, 
State, and local government 
agencies. 

The amount of land used 
for mining is small compared 
with that devoted to other 
types of uses — agriculture, 
70.0 percent; national parks, 
3.4 percent; urban areas, 
3.0 percent; transportation 
networks (highways, rail- 
roads, airports, etc.), 
1.3 percent; Forest Service 
wilderness, 1.1 percent; and 
wildlife refuges, 3.9 per- 
cent (table 1). 



10 



TABLE 1 . - Comparison of major land uses in the United States in 1980, 

by type of use 1 



Activity 



Million acres 



Agriculture (1977 data): 

Cropland , 

Grassland, pasture, and range, 

Forest land grazed , 

Farmsteads, farm roads , 

Total , 

Urban and built-up areas 2 , 

National park system 3 , 

Wildlife refuge system 3 , 

Forest Service wilderness 3 , 

Highways ( 1978) , 

Railroads (1978) , 

Airports (1978) , 

Mining 1 * , 

Other , 

Total , 



413.0 

985.7 

179.4 

10.9 



,589.0 

68.7 

77.0 

88.7 

25.1 

21.5 

3.0 

4.0 

5.7 

388.6 



2,271.3 



Estimates based primarily on reports and records of the Bureau of Census, the 
Department of Agriculture, and other Federal and State agencies. 

2 Includes residential, farm, industrial and recreational sites, and highways, rail- 
roads, and other transportation facilities within urban and built-up areas. 

3 Includes areas designated under the Alaska National Interests Lands Conservation 
Act, Dec. 2, 1980, Public Law 96-487. 

^For the period 1930-80; includes 2.7 million acres reclaimed. 

Every State experienced some form of mining activity during the reporting 
period. The percentage of land used by each State for mining and attendant activ- 
ities ranges from 0.01 percent in Alaska to over 2.2 percent in Pennsylvania 
(table 2). In addition to Pennsylvania, five States (Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, 
Illinois, and Indiana) each had over 1 percent of their land mined. These States 
account for nearly half the land mined and for two-thirds of the land reclaimed 
nationally. Eight States (California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, 
Pennsylvania, and West Virginia) have mined acreage ranging from 217,000 to over 
630,000 acres. Nine other States (Alabama, Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, 
New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia) were in the 100,000 to 200,000-acre cate- 
gory. The remaining States each had less than 100,000 acres used for mining during 
the 51-year period (fig. 6). 

Acreage Used and Reclaimed by Selected Commodity, by State 

Seven commodities (bituminous coal, clays, copper, iron ore, phosphate rock, 
sand and gravel, and stone) accounted for 92 percent of the amount of land used 
during the 51-year period (table 3). Bituminous coal was responsible for nearly 
half the total area utilized (48 percent). The remaining 52 percent is distri- 
buted as follows: Sand and gravel, 17 percent; stone, 13 percent; phosphate rock, 
5 percent; clays, 4 percent; copper, 3 percent; iron ore, 2 percent; and all other 
commodities including uranium, 8 percent (fig. 7). 



TABLE 2. - Land utilized and reclaimed by the mining Industry 1 
in the United States in 1930-80, by State 



11 



State 



Total State 

land area, 2 

acres 



Percent of 
total land 
area used 
for mining 



Total area 
utilized, 3 
acres 



Total area 
reclaimed, 3 
acres 



Percent 
reclaimed 



Alabama 

Alaska 

Arizona 

Arkansas 

California. . ... 

Colorado 

Connecticut. . . . 

Delaware 

Florida 

Georgia 

Hawaii 

Idaho 

Illinois 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

Maine 

Maryland 

Massachusetts. . 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Mississippi. . . . 

Missouri 

Montana 

Nebraska 

Nevada 

New Hampshire.. 

New Jersey 

New Mexico 

New York 

North Carolina. 
North Dakota. . . 

Ohio 

Oklahoma 

Oregon 

Pennslyvania. . . 
Rhode Island... 
South Carolina. 
South Dakota. . . 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Utah 

Vermont 

Virginia 

Washington 

West Virginia. . 

Wisconsin 

Wyoming 

Total 4 .... 



32 


678, 


365 


482, 


72 


688, 


33 


599, 


100 


207, 


66 


486, 


3 


135, 


1 


266, 


34 


721, 


37 


295, 


4 


106, 


52 


933, 


35 


795, 


23 


158, 


35 


860, 


52 


511, 


25 


512, 


28 


868, 


19 


848, 


6 


319, 


5 


035, 


36 


492, 


51 


206, 


30 


223, 


44 


248, 


93 


271, 


49 


,032, 


70 


264, 


5 


769, 


4 


813, 


77 


766, 


30 


681, 


31 


403, 


44 


452, 


26 


222, 


44 


088, 


61 


599, 


28 


805, 




677, 


19 


374, 


48 


882, 


26 


728, 


168 


218, 


52 


697, 


5 


,937, 


25 


,496, 


42 


694, 


15 


,411, 


35 


,011, 


62 


343, 


,271 


304, 



000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 
000 



0.39 
.01 
.17 
.09 
.26 

.11 

.55 
.22 
.86 
.15 
.19 
.09 

1.11 

1.13 
.19 
.11 

2.09 
.09 
.09 
.71 
.62 
.35 
.27 
.06 
.32 
.07 
.04 
.06 
.12 
.82 
.09 
.36 
.18 
.12 

1.93 
.15 
.07 

2.21 
.59 
.11 
.04 
.40 
.08 
.15 
.12 
.55 
.12 

2.06 
.17 
.13 



145 
31 

121 
39 

257 

70 

17 

2 

297 

54 

7 

45 

411 

260 
61 
57 

533 
25 
18 
45 
31 

128 

137 
16 

143 
63 
21 
40 
7 
39 
69 

110 
55 
53 

507 
66 
44 

635 

4 

20 

20 

106 

141 

78 

7 

139 
53 

318 
61 
81 



000 



.25 



5,700 



670 
760 
820 
190 
350 
290 
310 
830 
660 
740 
750 
380 
380 
660 
910 
780 
410 
770 
490 
080 
270 
720 
420 
700 
440 
270 
360 
080 
190 
510 
290 
990 
170 
230 
320 
670 
710 
530 
000 
800 
050 
160 
890 
490 
640 
110 
570 
120 
000 
460 



85 

16 
14 
13 
52 
21 
4 

69 

19 

2 

9 

282 

180 

26 

32 

385 

7 

6 

18 

8 

31 

16 

4 

67 

18 

6 

5 

1 

12 

15 

26 

15 

34 

357 

39 

11 

338 

8 

6 

48 

38 

7 

1 

69 

16 

194 

14 

29 



000 



2,700 



250 
820 
140 
490 
900 
950 
210 
650 
160 
200 
170 
510 
200 
760 
470 
320 
400 
310 
910 
740 
300 
660 
930 
990 
500 
100 
580 
830 
980 
440 
180 
260 
300 
700 
900 
490 
770 
000 
820 
150 
260 
870 
930 
520 
990 
630 
820 
000 
820 
720 



000 



58.5 
53.0 
11.6 
34.4 
20.6 
31.2 
24.3 
23.0 
23.2 
35.1 
28.0 
21.0 
68.6 
69.4 
42.8 
55.9 
72.3 
28.4 
37.4 
41.6 
26.5 
24.6 
12.3 
29.9 



47. 
28. 
30. 
14. 
27. 
31. 
21.9 
23.7 
27.7 
65.2 
70.6 
59.2 
26.3 
53.2 
20.5 
39.2 
31.2 
46.0 
27.4 
9.6 
26.1 
50.1 
31.4 
61„0 
24.3 
36.5 



47.4 



1 Excludes oil and gas operations. 

2 U.S. Department of Commerce, Statistical 

3 Includes area of surface mine excavation 
coal, 1930-71 only), surface area subs 
(1930-71 only), surface area used for 
disposal of mill or processing waste. 
railroads and public highways to edge 
and sedimentation. 

^Data may not add to totals shown because 



Abstract of the United States 1972, p. 196. 
area used for disposal of surface mine waste (includes 
ided or disturbed as a result of underground workings 
disposal of underground waste, and surface area used for 

Excludes areas used for haulroads, fresh water reservoirs, 
of mining properties, and streams affected by acid drainage 

of independent rounding. 



12 



TABLE 3. - Land 1 utilized by the mining Industry in the United States in 1930-80, 
by State and selected commodity, acres 



State 



Bituminous 
coal 



Clays 



Copper 



Iron 
ore 



Phosphate 
rock 



Sand and 
gravel 



Stone 



Uranium 



All other 
commodities 



Total 2 



Alabama 

Alaska 

Arizona 

Arkansas 

California 

Colorado 

Conneticut 

Delaware 

Florida 

Georgia 

Hawaii 

Idaho 

Illinois 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

Maine 

Maryland 

Massachusetts. . 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Mississippi. . . . 

Missouri 

Montana 

Nebraska 

Nevada 

New Hampshire.. 

New Jersey 

New Mexico 

New York 

North Carolina. 
North Dakota. . . 

Ohio 

Oklahoma 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania . . . 
Rhode Island... 
South Carolina. 
South Dakota... 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Utah 

Vermont 

Virginia 

Washington 

West Virginia.. 

Wisconsin 

Wyoming 

Total 2 



104,750 

5,090 

3,980 

6,360 

60 

17,450 







420 



10 

336,510 

205,820 

1,460 

26,750 

502,530 





14,060 



570 





61,600 

14,740 









16,000 





42,320 

394,500 

36,310 

20 

427,000 





390 

41,780 

8,890 

3,360 



85,530 

3,452 

300,700 



49,220 



8,700 

10 

740 

3,320 

14,010 

2,450 

920 

90 

2,620 

25,770 

60 

130 

8,990 

6,760 

4,080 

3,480 

4,660 

3,220 

250 

3,460 

630 

8,340 

750 

5,260 

10,340 

610 

660 

120 

150 

2,220 

360 

5,530 

11,650 

190 

20,770 

3,220 

1,000 

14,070 



6,640 

1,360 

6,510 

17,330 

1,020 

40 

5,060 

1,170 

1,720 

450 

8,690 




200 

91,200 


30 





50 









5,420 




16,750 


14,280 



15,600 




390 
5 




1,070 
5 

42,450 
200 
5 
120 






7,480 



5 

5 

2,440 

60 







380 



5 



















6,750 

90,590 



1,030 

10 



530 



630 

30 

1,910 

10 









730 





5 

20 

1,090 

3,470 



10 

5 



2,050 

1,560 











222,000 


14,500 














3,070 







5,360 








21,600 


2,750 

10 



960 



9 

9 

17 

12 

121 

24 

9 

2 

9 

4 

9 
32 

23 
19 
15 

6 

16 
15 
17 
20 
58 
38 
10 
13 
15 
17 

9 

6 

17 
10 
42 
13 
10 
45 

7 
21 
34 

3 

6 
14 

9 
41 
13 

3 
16 
29 

6 
39 



2,700,000 



230,000 



188,000 



121,000 



270,000 



960 



320 
520 
900 
760 
060 
900 
630 
610 
700 
820 
650 
730 
480 
590 
970 
150 
760 
330 
180 
520 
340 
880 
530 
500 
300 
810 
110 
380 
370 
460 
380 
560 
960 
570 
320 
900 
750 
370 
170 
990 
250 
920 
480 
590 
050 
180 
800 
700 
660 
280 



14,920 

1,010 

3,090 

11,930 

39,660 

5,980 

6,660 

120 

32,170 

20,400 

6,010 

2,710 

32,450 

23,600 

31,310 

9,940 

19,360 

5,840 

2,180 

9,840 

10,290 

39,160 

5,950 

940 

30,020 

5,610 

3,570 

2,760 

580 

11,900 

2,140 

33,920 

18,540 

100 

45,680 

15,270 

17,430 

54,150 

490 

6,950 

3,240 

24,650 

54,480 

4,200 

2,750 

28,370 

16,800 

8,990 

18,660 

5,560 




10 

780 



10 

330 





5 













5 

10 


9,330 


20 


20 




330 


890 

60 





410 





5,220 



500 

15,900 

4,130 

4,820 

80,110 

19,090 

100 

10 

31,170 

3,000 

1,030 

18,240 

950 

890 

5,090 

2,460 

100 

400 

880 

200 

10 

9,600 

1,600 



27,120 

6,670 

20 

13,000 

90 

7,300 

15,450 

27,070 

5,650 

30 

1,050 

3,580 

4,490 

105,210 

340 

220 

510 

610 

17,730 

7,590 

1,600 

3,950 

1,810 

10 

180 

1,970 



145 
31 

121 
39 

257 

70 

17 

2 

297 
54 

7 

45 

411 

260 
61 
57 

533 ; 
25 
18 
45 
31 

128 

137 
16 

143 
63 
21 
40 
7 
39 
69 

110 
55 
53 

507 
66 
44 

635 

4 

20 

20 

106 

141 

78 

7 

139 
53 

318 
61 
81 



000 



752,000 



17,000 



450,000 



5,700, 



670 
760 
820 
190 
350 
290 
310 
830 
660 
740 
750 
380 
380 
660 
910 
780 
410 
770 
490 
080 
270 
720 
420 
700 
440 
270 
360 
080 
190 
510 
290 
990 
170 
230 
320 
670 
710 
530 
000 
800 
050 
160 
890 
490 
640 
110 
570 
120 
000 
460 



000 



includes area of 
1930-71 only), 
used for dispo 
voirs, rallroa 
drainage and s 

2 Data may not add 



surface mine excavation, area used for disposal of surface mine waste (includes coal, 
surface area subsided or disturbed as a result of underground waste, and surface area 
sal of mill or processing waste. Excludes areas used for haulroads, fresh water reser- 
ds and public highways to edge of mining properties, and streams affected by acid 
edimentation. 
to totals shown because of independent rounding. 



13 




o 

E 
E 
o 
u 

-o 
o 

u 

_0) 
<D 

>. 
_n 

-o 

W 

~D 

C 
D 



O 



O 
CO 



c 

0) 

u o 



LU 





w 

U 

0) 
D 

£-> 
>s 

_Q 

-D 

</> 

3 

-o 

c 

D 



C 

o 



to 



sO 

LU 



O 

Li_ 



14 



Seven States accounted for 84 percent of the land used for bituminous 
coal mining and included, in declining order, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ohio, 
Illinois, West Virginia, Indiana, and Alabama. All seven States exceeded the 
national average in the amount of land reclaimed, which ranged from 58 percent 
in Alabama to over 72 percent in Kentucky. Figure 8 shows land distribution 
for mining coal in 1930-80, and table 4 shows the acreage size distribution 
for mining coal by State for the same period. 

TABLE 4. - Size distribution of acres utilized for coal 



in 1930-80, by State 



Acres utilized 


Number of States 


Percent of coal- 
producing States 


Under 10,000 


13 
9 

2 

7 


41.9 


50,000 to 100,000.... 


29.0 

6.5 

22.6 



Forty-nine States reported clay production over the 51-year period; land 
use for clays was widespread, ' and no particular group of States emerged domi- 
nant in acreage used. Clay raining land use ranged from 10 acres in Alaska to 
over 25,000 acres in Georgia (table 5). 

TABLE 5 . - Size distribution of acres utilized 
for clay in 1930-80, by State 



Acres utilized 


Number 


of 


States 


Percent of clay- 
producing States 


Under 1,000.... 




17 




34.7 


1,000 to 4,999. 




15 




30.6 


5,000 to 10,000 




10 




20.4 


Over 10,000.... 




7 




14.3 



Five States accounted for 95 percent of the area utilized for copper. 
Arizona was the leading State, accounting for nearly half the land used in the 
United States for copper mining and processing activities (fig. 9). 



' 



15 







0) 
Q. 
Q. 
O 
U 

o> 

c 



0) 
10 

c 
_o 

»*- o 

o oo 

(DO 

a>co 
a on 



c 
a> 
u «> 

(0 o 
CL<£ 



On 



LU 

ID 
O 
Ll_ 




c 
'c 
E 



3 OO 

-o <=> 
o c^ 



O) OO 

o 



c 

<t> 
U 

(D 

Q_ 



oo 
LU 

O 






16 



Minnesota was the dominant State in the quantity of land used in mining 
and processing iron ore, accounting for 75 percent of the total land used in 
the United States for that purpose. 

Florida accounted for 82 percent of the land used in the extraction of 
phosphate rock. 

California utilized 121,000 acres in the production of sand and gravel; 
this acreage was the highest in the country and amounted to 13 percent of 
the total land used for that commodity. All States reported sand and gravel 
extraction (table 6). Similarly, stone production was reported in all States; 
Pennsylvania and Texas were the dominant States, each accounting for about 
7 percent of the total land used for stone production (table 7). 

TABLE 6 . - Size distribution of acres utilized for sand 
and gravel in 1930-80, by State 



Acres utilized 


Number 


of States 


Percent of sand- and 
gravel-producing States 






c 


10.0 


5,000 to 9,999... 




12 


24.0 


10,000 to 19,999. 




18 


36.0 


20,000 to 50,000. 




13 


26.0 






2 


4.0 



TABLE 7 . - Size distribution of acres utilized for stone 

in 1930-80, by State 



Acres utilized 


Number of States 


Percent of stone- 
producing States 




16 


32.0 




10 


20.0 


10,000 to 19,999... 


10 


20.0 


20,000 to 40,000... 


11 


22.0 




3 


6.0 



Bituminous coal also accounted for the bulk of the acreage reclaimed. 
Seventy-five percent of the land used for bituminous coal was reclaimed, 
compared with 8 and 27 percent respectively for areas affected by metal and 
nonmetal operations. The lower percentages of reclamation for metal and non- 
metal mining are due to several factors, including location in more sparsely 
populated areas in general than coal mining and lack of regulatory history; 
however, perhaps the most important factor is the nature of the operation. 
Unlike coal, most operations consist of large quarries and open pits that are 
worked for many years; typically large quantities of ore are removed while dis- 
turbing relatively small surface areas. Table 8 shows the amount of land used 
and reclaimed by selected commodity, 1930-80. 



17 



TABLE 8 . - Land utilized and reclaimed by the mining Industry 
in the United States in 1930-80 and 1980, 
by selected commodity 



Commodity 


Land utilized, 1 
acres 


Land reclaimed, 1 
acres 


Percent 
reclaimed 




1930-80 


1980 


1930-80 


1980 


1930-80 


Metals: 


188,000 

121,000 

17,000 

182,000 


2,570 

2,040 

310 

4,240 


5,400 

5,100 

1,300 

29,200 


190 
80 
70 

650 


' 2.9 
4.2 




7.7 




16.0 




508,000 


9,160 


41,000 


990 


8.1 


Nonmetals: 


230,000 
270,000 
960,000 
743,000 
150,000 


6,920 
19,420 
38,800 
27,560 

2,900 


86,100 

65,200 

296,000 

174,400 

13,900 


3,220 

4,830 

13,140 

7,640 

980 


37.4 
24.2 




30.8 




23.5 




9.3 




2,353,000^ 


95,600 


635,600 


29,810 


27.0 


Solid fuels: 


2,700,000 
118,000 


121,710 
870 


2,036,000 
17,000 


92,220 
380 


75.4 




14.4 


Total 5 


2,818,000 


123,000 


2,053,000 


92,600 


72.9 








5,700,000 


228,000 


2,700,000 


123,000 


47.4 



includes area of .surface mine excavation, area used for disposal of surface 
mine waste (includes coal, 1930-71 only), surface area subsided or dis- 
turbed as a result of underground workings (1930-71 only), surface area 
used for disposal of underground waste, and surface area used for disposal 
of mill or processing waste. Excludes areas used for haulroads, fresh 
water reservoirs, railroads and public highways to edge of mining proper- 
ties, and streams affected by acid drainage and sedimentation. 

2 Bauxite, beryllium, gold, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, 
platinum-group metals, silver, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, and zinc. 

3 Aplite, asbestos, boron minerals, diatomite, feldspar, fluorspar, garnet, 
graphite, greensand marl, gypsum, kyanite, lithium minerals, magnesite, 
mica, millstones, olivine, perlite, potassium salts, pumice, pyrites, salt, 
sodium carbonate, talc, tripoli, vermiculite, and wollastonite. 

^Anthracite and peat. 

5 Data may not add to totals shown because of independent rounding. 



18 



Acreage Used and Reclaimed by Mining Function 

For lands associated with mining activity, over two-thirds of the acre- 
age is used for excavations associated with surface mining (69 percent). The 
disposal of overburden waste (includes coal, 1930-71 only), processing waste, 
waste from underground mining operations, and surface subsidence (1930-71 only) 
account for the remaining 31 percent of land utilized (fig. 10). 



WASTE AREA FROM 
UNDERGROUND 



SUBSIDED AREA 




FIGURE 10. - Percentage of land used by mining function, 1930-80. 



19 



Areas affected by surface mine excavations and areas used for disposal 
of overburden wastes have the highest percentages of reclamation, 55 and 
52 percent, respectively. The remaining reclaimed areas are distributed as 
follows: Surface area used for disposal of underground waste, 13.4 percent; 
surface area used for disposal of mill or processing waste, 9.4 percent; and 
surface area subsided or disturbed as a result of underground workings, 
5.6 percent (table 9). 

TABLE 9 . - Land utilized and reclaimed by the mining industry 

iri the United States in 1930-80, 

by area of mining activity 1 



Area of activity 



Utilized, 


Reclaimed, 


Percent 


acres 


acres 


reclaimed 


3,933,910 


2,158,500 


55.0 


910,000 


472,000 


52.0 


105,000 


5,870 


5.6 


190,320 


25,500 


13.4 


554,000 


51,800 


9.4 


5,700,000 


2,700,000 


47.4 



Surface area mined (area of excavation 
only ) , 

Area used for disposal of overburden waste 
from surface mining^ ....» , 

Surface area subsided or disturbed as a 
result of underground workings 3 , 

Surface area used for disposal of under- 
ground mine waste , 

Surface area used for disposal of mill or 

processing waste. , 

Total 1 * , 



Excludes oil and gas operations. 

^Includes surface coal operations for 1930-71 only. 

3 Includes data for 1930-71 only. 

^Data may not add to totals shown because of independent rounding. 



CONCLUSIONS 



Mining, Especially surface mining, is a very conspicious form of land use 
which over the years has generated considerable concern about its impact on^ 
other resources. Yet, compared with other land uses, mining involves a very 
small portion of the total land mass in the United States. 

During the 51-year period 1930-80, the mining industry used 5.7 million 
acres, or 0.25 percent of the total U.S. land mass, to meet the Nation's fuel 
and nonfuel mineral needs. Nearly half (47 percent) of the land utilized was 
reclaimed by the mining industry, and although 53 percent was not reclaimed 
by the industry, not all of this unreclaimed land remains in an abandoned con- 
dition. Some lands abandoned years ago have been reclaimed by nature and can- 
not be identified for reclamation purposes. Others were voluntarily reclaimed 
by the mining industry (figs. 11 and 12) before the existence of State or Fed- 
eral laws for such uses as farming, grazing, and other purposes and cannot now 
be accurately accounted for. Still others have been reclaimed by other indus- 
tries for such uses as highways, for recreation, industrial, and residential 
complexes, and for demonstration of reclamation techniques (fig. 13). There- 
fore, conclusions as to the total amount of land that remains in an abandoned 
condition cannot be drawn from this report. 



20 




FIGURE 11. - Abandoned strip pit before backfilling. 




FIGURE 12. - Abandoned strip pit after backfilling. 



21 




22 



Although more land continues to he used for mining, the trend in land 
reclamation continues to increase. With respect to coal, State and Federal 
laws provide for reclamation of all lands disturbed by surface mining. With 
the present trend in State law development governing mineral production, it is 
anticipated that reclamation of lands affected by nonfuel mineral mining will 
continue to increase; however, because such operations last for years, extrac- 
ting large quantities of minerals while disturbing relatively small surface 
areas, reclamation of mineral lands will continue to be at a slower rate than 
reclamation of lands affected by coal mining. 



PD -203 







* a" 



^k^Q^mmm^ 






a 4 



^o 

J 
















^ ''fife"- % <£ 






AT , 












o > 




*4 






r ^o x 
















-V V 








V"^V* .*V' -, '*V**. \*^^>* *<^-W* a \^ \j*$ft*\S* \J^fS 



J*\ '111 ; . ** v ^ '°1»* : ^ 




.v ^ • - ' AT <y> * . . e> ' , V 



^°...,v^*^ %^^/ v^^v v^v 
••ate- xs cm*. \/ /^K\ *♦..*♦ ,a& \ .^' --^ 












? v .L^L% *> 




V »1 * °- o 






••aw- %«♦♦ sma:\^ /isK\ %..y ,i 














JUL 83.-.% v»». :Jtt ..> - ^. i -,-.\" , / 1 li:.% *V.... °V o* —. 



mm .; riv .[,.: ■■■'. 

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




002 959 942 7 






I8SH 






IBIli 

Hi 



■H 
HUH 

K 

IIIHIIB 

lliiitliii 

Hag Sit ■.■• m 

III 

lifer 111 



, ■ SI J1j «■„ j 

.. mm 

HH 



